elling the sweet sounds of success TWELVE YEARS ago Glenn Jolly saw a stringed instrument known as the dulcimer hanging up in a store. After examining it, he decided he could do better. As a result, Jolly con- structed his first dulcimer, and embarked on a part-time career aS a custom instru- ment-maker. Jolly, 31, constructs dulcimers, flutes, recorders, harps, and tone drums in the basement of his North Van- couver home to sell at ‘‘folk festivals and fairs all over B.C.”’ He said the work came to him naturally, since it com- bined his already developed talents as a wood craftsman, and musician. As well as playing the instruments he constructs, Jolly also plays guitar and keyboards. Jolly’s training as a profes- sional instrument-maker has been informal. ‘*At craft fairs, I exchange ideas with people who make instruments,’’ he said. ‘*When I went to Hawaii, I met half a dozen people who showed me new ideas on flute-making .. . I’ve read a lot of books on instrument- making, and I’ve done a lot of research.’’ Instrument-making is a slowly acquired skill, says a framer’s best advertising is word.of mouth By ADRIAN CHAMBERLAIN Jolly, who only became fully satisifed with his level of ex- pertise three years ago. And the actual construction of the musical instruments is time consuming. ‘‘It takes about two weeks of work to make a harp,’’ says Jolly. ‘‘There’s about 800 Ib. of pressure from the strings, so I don’t want to take any shortcuts.’’ The medium-sized harps sell for about $700, said Jol- ly. Small flutes go for about $15-$20, medium-sized tone drums for about $65, and the price for dulcimers (original- ly an American folk instru- ment, says Jolly) ranges from $140 to $600. The instruments are made from a variety of hardwoods: alder, Douglas fir, black walnut, cherrywood and rosewood. Jolly said a local wood he most often uses is red cedar — ‘‘the best soun- ding wood for any instrument.’’ One of Jolly’s specialties is his tone drums or ‘‘xylo- drums’’. The drums are essentially hollow wooden boxes that produce different notes depending on where they are struck. He says others have told him these drums originate from the Fiji islands. While he gets satisfaction from constructing the in- struments, Jollys says he gets **the most fun’’ from design- ing them. Some of the in- struments have refinements which are Jolly’s own ideas. **L ike to create unique art pieces in musical in struments,'’’ he said. Although some people buy his instruments ‘“‘just to put on the wall,”" Jolly said most seem genuinely interested in GLEN JOLLY checks his wooden flutes for light leaks (above) and sitting down (left) he plays his best selling instrument, the tone drum or zylo drum. Glen makes a wide variety of shapes and sizes in these drums, not to mention the other in- struments surrounding him. learning how to play them, if they on’t already know CONTINUED ON PAGE C2 SECTION . ae NEWS photos Terry Peters ir OFESSIONAL HAIRCUTS THE UNDER CUTTERS RETAIL HAIRCARE CENTRE HOME OF THE $6§8cur open 6 days a week 1564 MARINE DR. WEST VAN. 1 December Hours - Mon-Wed. 8am-8pm Thurs. & Friday nights ‘til 9 pm., Sat. 8am-5pm WE CAN REALLY CUT IT! : ‘SUPER SERVICESPECIALS | THAT HELP YOU SAVE! UNDERCUTTERS COLD WAVE CELLOPHANE by Sebastian $4 7** 16 DEC 17 $22 **,6 DEC 17 ROOTS RETOUCH ‘tor the holidays’ | 9°* 6 DEC 17 SAVE 50° ON YOUR NEXT UNDERCUT ‘ONE BETTER’ acid pH Perm $3 5°, DEC 17 SIMPLY GRING IN ANY CANNED FOOD PRODUCT FROM YOUR PANTRY TO HELP Fi. OUR TINY TIM FOOO HAMPERS AND WEL. TRIM 5O OFF YOUR NEXT UNDER Cul THAT'S Riant 80 OFF FOR EACH DOONATION NOW Teal § IME CHAISTMAS SPIRIT! OF FER GOOD UNTIL OEC 24°83 BC 'S LARGEST SELECTION OF IN SALON PRODUCTS REDKEN NUCLEIC ‘A’ K.M.S. JHIRMACK SCHWARTZKOPF JOICO CLAIROL HELENE CURTIS ALL AT VERY AFFORDABLE PRICES DON SULLIVAN